Hame-fastener



' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. H. PARMELEE. HAME FASTENER.

Elm 442,824. Patented Dec. 16. 1890.

INVBNTOR ficnumrznz BY 7; g

ATTORNEY JOHN II. PARMELEE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

HAM E-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 442,824, dated December 16, 1890.

Application filed June 30,1890. Serial No. 357,276. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. PARMELEE, a citizen of theUnitedStates, residingatBridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in flame-Fasteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the My invention relates to hame-fasteners, and has for its object to provide a device of this description which shall be positive in its action and simple as to its operation and construction.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective showing a pair of hames broken away and provided with my improvement, the parts being in a position preparatory to locking; Fig. 2, a similar view showing the hanies locked with my improvement; Fig. 3, an elevation, the several parts being in the position shown at Fig. 2, but particularly showing the operation of the takeup hook; Fig. 4, an elevation, also similar to Fig. 2, but showing the safety-catch made in a single piece; and Fig. 5, a detail perspective of the safety-catch shown in Fig. 4.

Similar letters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

A A are the hames, having at the lower ends the usual eyes B B'.

C is a chain composed of anysuitablenumber of links, and D is an ordinary hook at the end of the chain, whereby the latter is secured to the hame-eye B.

My improved safety-catch consists, preferably, of a series of interlooped links E, the upper one of which is formed wit-h a hook F, which is pivoted around the hanie-eye B, while around the lower link is pivoted a catchlever G, having a hook II at its free end.

I is a cross-bar secured on the sides of the upper link so as to slide freely thereon.

To look the hames, it is only necessary to insert the lever Gthrough one of the chainlinks C, force said lever back until the hook H is within and above the sides of the upper link of the safety-catch, and then slide the cross-bar underneath the hook. It willbe observed that the rear end of the lever G where it is pivoted is curved regularly with no break or abrupt bend, and the objectv of this is to insure a constant strain on the lever, whereby the hook II will bear with considerable force against the cross-bar. Then the cross-bar is thrown back from underneath the lever, the latter will automatically free itself from the chain and unlock the hames.

J is a take-up hook pivoted around the eye B, and by means of which the chain may be shortened to a degree less than that effected by the operation of the catch-lever with respect to the links C.

It very frequently would happen that the chain would be slack when the lever was locked, and if it were attempted to remedy this by inserting said lever within the next link to shorten the chain C it might be found that this made the chain so short that the lever could not be locked. Now, any shortening of the chain C by adjusting the lever within the links must necessarilybe measured by at least the length of one link. On the other hand, the take-up hook may shorten the chain by only a part of a link, as shown at Fig. 3.

I have shown my safety-catch composed of several links, the upper one of which is provided with the cross-bar, while the lower one has pivoted thereto the catch-lever, and while I prefer this construction, because the links, owing to their flexibility, lie snugly against the horse-collar, still I do not wish to be limited to a safety-catch composed of any particular number of links, and I have therefore shown at Fig. 4 such catch comprising but a single link, similar to the upper link shown at Fig. 1, but somewhat elongated in order to provide for the length of the lever G.

I am aware that it is not new, broadly, to lock hanies by a chain and a hook, and I do not wish to be understood as claiming such construction.

I claim- The improved safety-catch for fastening hames, consisting of an open link having a hook at one end for attachment to the hameeye, a cross-bar secured around the side wires of said link so as to slide freely, and a catchlever pivotallyswung from the free end of said IOC li1lk,?l,-D(1l12LVlIlg a hook end adapted to be en- In testimony whereof I affix my signature in gaged by said cross-bar, in combination with presence of two witnesses.

a chain attached to the other Imine-eye, said M 1 9 Q lever adapted to be inserted within the links JOHN 1 ARMLLLL' 5 of the chain and then drawn back and se- \Vitnesses:

cured over the cross-bar, substantially as set J. S. FINOH, forth. F. W. SMITH, J r. 

